


On the Hook

by SuburbanSun



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Dating, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22807885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuburbanSun/pseuds/SuburbanSun
Summary: Over the time they’d known each other, TK had learned that Carlos almost never got flustered, but when he did, he looked pretty freaking adorable.All the more reason, then, to make him flustered as much as humanly possible.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)/TK Strand, Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 22
Kudos: 433





	On the Hook

TK had learned a few things about Carlos in the short time they’d been— hooking up? Dating? He wasn’t quite sure. What he _was_ sure about was the following:

  1. Carlos loved to cook, which was nice, because he was really, really good at it.
  2. Carlos’ apartment was always tidy.
  3. Carlos almost never got flustered, but when he did, he looked pretty freaking adorable.



The latter was something TK had slowly come to realize over time. He’d had an inkling when his dad had walked in on them making out in their shared kitchen, and a pretty shade of pink had settled high on Carlos’ cheekbones. He’d known for sure when Michelle had referred to TK as Carlos’ boyfriend, and Carlos had sputtered out the water he’d just sipped.

And now, he was determined to make it happen again.

The call had been an easy one— a car accident with no fatalities, no injuries. AFD hadn’t even had much to do, beyond checking up on both drivers and making sure neither vehicle was in danger of catching fire. Carlos was on the scene to file the police report, and TK eyed him from his spot beside the truck. He’d finished taking statements from the drivers and was standing by his cruiser, jotting down notes. The perfect opportunity. 

TK pulled out his phone and quickly tapped out a message, shoving it back in his pocket before nosy Mateo or Marjan could walk by. Then, he crossed his arms, leaned against the side of the truck, and watched.

On the other side of the street, he saw Carlos frown, set his notepad down on the trunk of his car, and dig his phone out of the pocket of his uniform. TK smirked as he watched him unlock it and swipe to view his texts, watched his eyes widen as he read the words on the screen. Visibly swallowing, Carlos put a hand on one hip and surveyed the scene. Whether he was looking around to make sure nobody had read over his shoulder or looking for the man who’d sent the message, TK couldn’t be sure. 

But either way, he’d gotten what he wanted. And he knew he’d make good on the promises he’d made over text later that night.

And he did. Twice.

  
  
  


His next opportunity to ruffle Officer Reyes’ feathers came only a couple of days later, at the bar after a too-long, too-busy shift. TK hadn’t wanted to go; not being able to drink kind of took the luster out of unwinding at the bar. But Judd and Mateo dragged him out, and when he spotted Carlos at a high-top table with a couple of other officers, he was glad they had.

“Fancy meeting you here, Officer,” he said, sidling up beside him. 

Carlos tilted his head to the side and quirked an eyebrow. “Out of all the gin joints in all the world.” 

“You up for a game?” TK nodded at the dart board on the other side of the bar, but Carlos gave him an apologetic half-smile.

“Pete and Garcia are having some trouble with the sergeant, and I told them I’d help out,” he said of the men on the other side of the table, who were politely ignoring their conversation. “After?” 

TK slipped both hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Sure. You know where to find me.” He gave Carlos one last once-over (the man certainly could wear a T-shirt, couldn’t he?), then turned to find his favorite bartender, the one who always had a chilled mineral water with extra lime waiting for him.

An hour passed, and TK played darts with Judd (he lost), then Mateo (he won, but he suspected maybe Probie was letting him win. Was TK bad at darts?). By then, TK was _bored_. 

He leaned back against the wall beside the dartboard and eyed Carlos on the other side of the bar. Garcia had gone home, but Pete was still there, deep in conversation. It was something he appreciated about Carlos, the way he cared about everyone in his life, how willing he was to listen and do everything in his power to help. Carlos didn’t realize quite how flagrantly he wore his heart on his sleeve. It was incredibly endearing. 

But it could also really get in the way of TK’s plans. He dug out his phone and bit his lip, pulling up his text chain with Carlos. He knew he shouldn’t. But…

He typed out a text and hit 'Send’ before he could stop himself. Sometimes TK wondered if all his self-control was devoted to avoiding the substances he’d used to rely on, and if that meant he’d never be able to stop himself when he was doing something that was harmless, but not necessarily above board. 

Nothing he could do about it now. The text had sent, and he could see how Carlos’ phone lit up where it sat on the table between them. Carlos smiled at Pete, nodding to make sure the other man knew he was still involved in the conversation, but pulled the phone closer to unlock it. 

His face as he read it was priceless, how his lips parted and his brow furrowed as he sucked in a breath. TK chuckled to himself as he watched Carlos scan the bar for him, huffing out an exhale when his gaze landed on him, his attention no longer on Pete at all.

TK grinned and shrugged one shoulder. His text hadn’t been _wrong_.

The muscles in Carlos’ jaw twitched, and he tilted his phone so Pete couldn’t see the screen. TK could tell he was apologizing to Pete as he quickly typed out a reply, thumbs flying. A few moments later, TK’s phone buzzed in his left hand, and he swiped to see the response.

_Back alley. 20 minutes._

Nobody needed to tell TK twice.

  
  
  


A whole week went by before they were off work at the same time again. A string of burglaries had been keeping Carlos busy, and when they did text, he was preoccupied with his caseload. And TK didn’t exactly have nothing to do, between the man who got stuck halfway out a highrise window and the woman who managed to drive her car into a lake. 

By the time they both had a night to spare, TK _missed_ him. He didn’t want to miss him; he didn’t want to miss anybody. That level of affection and vulnerability had never worked out well for him in the past. But he did.

“ _There_ he is,” Carlos said, opening his front door with a fond grin. 

“What? I’m on time,” TK complained. “I told you 9 or 10, and it’s 9:45.” 

Carlos quirked an eyebrow and let him in. “You know, you make it hard to course out dinner.”

“Just be glad we’re not at my place. We’d be eating Kraft mac & cheese out of the pot.” 

“Sounds delicious.”

TK gave him a look, then headed for the sofa, getting out his phone and pulling up a playlist he’d made. It had become their little routine when they could swing it— Carlos cooked, TK picked the music, and they spent a nice dinner together after a shift.

His phone automatically connected to Carlos’ Bluetooth speakers, and TK turned the volume up, scrolling through the playlist to find his favorite song. Carlos had his back to him in the kitchen, and TK took a moment to appreciate the way the muscles of his shoulders flexed under the fabric of his shirt. 

Just then, his phone buzzed in his hands, startling him out of his thoughts. He saw that it was a text from Carlos, and swiped to unlock it, his heart beating a little bit faster in his chest. 

As he read it, he could feel his cheeks heating up, and he let out a little sound that was half sigh, half whimper. He couldn’t decide if he hoped Carlos hadn’t heard, or if he hoped that he had. 

Either way, TK thought to himself as his gaze landed on a mischievous, grinning Carlos in the kitchen, he'd never been so happy to be the one who was flustered. 

**Author's Note:**

> Want to hang out on tumblr? I'm [unbreakablejemmasimmons](https://unbreakablejemmasimmons.tumblr.com/) over there!


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